Test the current reading level of your students before starting new reading program. This can be done by using a standardized test, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or you can make a test specific to your class or children. A basic way of testing current reading levels is to have all the students read the same story and answer a series of questions referencing that story.
Choose a new reading program or develop a reading program plan of your own. The new program can include your own ideas for growing the children's vocabulary and comprehension or a more complex teaching program recommended by the school district. Choosing the program you want to use may take several days or weeks of analyzing potential programs.
Set guidelines for testing throughout the length of the program. If the new reading program is shorter than three months in length you may not need to test throughout the program. For longer reading programs of four months or longer, it is helpful to test the students' reading abilities halfway through the program. Additional testing should always follow similar guidelines of the original test of reading abilities. You may use a different story to have the students read, but it should be at the same reading level as the original testing story.
Commit to the program and its length. If choosing a prepared reading program it is important to commit to the entire program length as recommended by the creators of the program. Many programs work on a step process and some students will not see growth until they are able to fully work through the entire reading program.
Re-test students using the same original testing measure. When the program is complete and you are ready to do a final test of reading abilities it is again important to use the same original testing method. Many schools do this by administering the Iowa Test of Basic Skills on a yearly basis so scores are analyzed year after year. If using your own testing story originally, it is important to use a similar story to test final results of the reading program.